True Freshman Siale Esera is Carving Out a Role in BYU's Defense

Esera has been a standout in limited reps this season

Back in December, BYU signed four-star recruit Siale Esera out of nearby Timpview High School. Esera was one of the biggest recruiting wins of the recruiting cycle. Esera picked BYU over competing offers from the likes of UCLA, Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, Tennessee, USC, Utah, Virginia, and Washington State among others. When Jay Hill was hired as BYU's defensive coordinator, he prioritized Esera on the recruiting trail. Hill's efforts paid off and Esera signed with BYU during the early signing period.

Esera was hurt for the first few games of the season. He got healthy and made his first appearance in a BYU uniform against TCU. Esera made an instant impact for BYU against the Horned Frogs. Siale intercepted TCU quarterback Josh Hoover just moments after taking the field. He played only 10 snaps in that game and he finished with two tackles and the aforementioned interception.

Esera got more playing time last week against Texas Tech. Like he did against TCU, he stood out in his limited reps. Esera finished with three tackles and all of them were classified as "stops" according to PFF. A "stop" is defined as a tackle that constitute a failure for the offense.

Credit: BYU Photo

On one play in the fourth quarter, Texas Tech faced a third & 13. Tech running back Cam'Ron Valdez got to the edge and no BYU defender was in the area. Esera got off his block and met Valdez short of the line to gain. BYU forced a turnover on downs on the next play.

Even though Siale has played only 31 snaps for the BYU defense, he has started to carve out a role for himself on the defense. Esera is listed at Mack Linebacker as the backup to Harrison Taggart. Don't be surprised if Esera's role grow as the season progresses.

Credit: BYU Photo

Siale is part of a growing group of freshmen that looks to be the future of the BYU defense. Fellow freshmen Harrison Taggart, John Henry Daley, Raider Damuni, Marcus McKenzie, and Preston Rex have played critical snaps for BYU this season. Player retention will be critical for the BYU defensive staff in coming years. If these players stick around and develop in BYU's system, the Cougars could be a very good defense in the future.

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